The Kids Who Owned a City
by scout87
Summary: A disaster leaves the town without adults. What will happen in the aftermath of this tragedy? Plz. read review
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer-I don't own Recess, or The Girl Who Owned a City.  
  
It was cold, and so quiet. Then again, it was always quiet nowadays, what with the adults gone and all. Her mind was drifting, and she refocused on what she was looking for –food. She noticed a house that looked like it was abandoned, probably nothing important in there, but it was worth a look. She checked the door- it was open. Walking through the house was strange. She felt like a criminal, even though she had done this before. Finally, the fridge was in sight, and she opened it.  
"Damn it!" The fridge was completely bare. Not a single scrap of anything the least bit edible. Walking out in frustration, she noticed something from the corner of her eye. It was a hastily scribbled note. She had gotten one just like it. Even though she knew what it said, she read it anyways.  
Dear sweetie,  
We're sorry we have to leave you. There's food in the fridge, it should last you a little while. Be sure to remember to see Dr. Tunick for your vaccination, you can't fall victim to this disease too. Take care of your little brother, he needs you now. I know it will be hard, but always remember that we love you, even if we're not there physically, we'll be there in spirit with you.  
Love always,  
Mom and Dad  
Reading the note brought back a flood of memories. She remembered her and TJ getting their shots together, and when her parents told her of what was to come-bringing her childhood to a screeching halt. Flashback  
"Hey Ashley honey, could you come in here, your father and I have to talk to you."  
"What is it mom?"  
"Your father and I have to-well- we have to... leave." Her voice started to crack.  
"When will you be back?" A tear fell down her father's cheek.  
"Pookie, you know of the virus right?"  
"Yeah..."  
"How it infects everyone over twelve, we have a vaccine, but no cure for those already infected."  
"Yeah..." Something was definitely wrong, she could tell. Her father's face was buried in his hands; he appeared to be softly sobbing. Her mother was trying to be strong, but was struggling to contain the lump in her throat. This was the last time she would ever see her daughter...  
"Well honey...every adult in ...every adult in the world has been...infected."  
"But you can get better right?"  
"No Ashley, I'm afraid we can't."  
"But why?"  
"We're so sorry pookie." Her father said. Both parents were now crying. Spinelli was scared now. What did this now mean for her.  
"From now on, you'll have to go on without us."  
"What?!" now it was Spinelli's turn to cry.  
"We know it seems impossible, but you can do it-we know you can."  
"But how... I'm just...just a ten...year old girl." She said between sobs. Even though she had previously sworn to never cry, she couldn't help not crying. Life without her parents...impossible. She was doomed.  
"Ashley, there's no such thing as 'just a ten year old girl' you are special, strong and spirited. Between you and your friends, you'll be okay for sure."  
"If I'm so strong, why am I crying?"  
"Sometimes, it's okay to cry honey."  
  
End Flashback  
That was two months ago. Things since then pretty much whomped. Her parents were right about her friends though. Each one of them had a safety net in the other five, even if things were rough for them too. In the distance, she saw Tj's house, where the six of them were living. With no law enforcement, things often got a little mixed up, so they figured there was safety in numbers. Not to mention they could work to survive much better as a team than individually.  
"Any luck Spin?" called out her best friend, TJ Detwieler.  
"Sorry Teej, I got nothing. You?"  
"Nada"  
She smiled. Things seemed much better when she was with the gang, especially when she was with TJ. He could always make her smile. In this world, there wasn't much to smile about.  
  
Tj's POV  
She was smiling. I love her smile. Truth be told, I think I might actually love her...but I'm not quite sure. What is love any ways? It's not like there's anyone to explain it to me. Whatever it is, I've always felt something special for her. It's not like I could tell her though. If she didn't feel the same way...best not to dwell on the negative. Now's not the time. We have to focus on more important things, like what to eat tonight. I thought I knew what hunger was, but I was wrong. Sometimes, I get so hungry it hurts. A kid's gotta eat. Gretchen, of course, is working on getting food. Something about synthetic compounds yada yada yada. Gus' army rations were a godsend, his dad left enough for six months. Four months left.At any rate, we'll have to wait till next fall for the stuff we planted to grow. Frankly, I don't know if I can wait that long.  
Wait a minute, what about the grocery warehouse? 10 miles away, if only one of us could drive. Wait a minute, whose gonna stop me from driving? Why didn't I think of this before? How hard could it be?  
"Tj, Tj ???"  
"huh, oh, sorry Spin, zoned out a little there."  
  
Spinelli's POV  
He had that look. That unmistakable look. He's got something planned. I've been wanting to see that look for a while. It's so...reassuring, like nothing bad can happen, like everything actually will be ok.  
"What's your plan?" 


	2. Chapter 2

"Man, how come we're the ones who have to carry the most gas cans?" asked Mikey Blumberg.  
"Yeah, these things are heavy," Declared Vince LaSalle.  
"Easy" said TJ, "You two are the strongest, you can carry the most."  
Though he resented carrying the cans, Vince was glad TJ had finally come up with something to help them out from between the rock and hard place they were in. They had enough gas to last a while, and if there was as much food at the warehouse as he hoped, he could whip up some fine meals. Not that he wasn't thankful for Gus' army rations, but a kid needs more than chipped beef and crackers to sustain himself. He was also looking for a way to pay back the gang for helping him out. When his parents left, he didn't no what to do with himself. No kids to beat, no games to win, he started thinking he was pointless; what good was an athlete with no sports? The gang helped him through that, especially TJ and Spinelli. Speaking of whom...  
"Hey guys" Spinelli shouted excitedly "I got one"  
"Got one, what do you mean?" inquired Mikey.  
"A car, I hot-wired it."  
"How'd you learn to hot wire a car?!"  
"Joey taught me."  
'Joey...' she thought. He must be dead, Vito too. She hadn't seen either for quite some time. Now she never would again. Even though they may have done some bad things...they were still her brothers and she loved them. She cherished the little time she did get to spend with them, like that Christmas morning two years ago when they showed up as a surprise. Looking back, she felt that was her best Christmas yet. 'The way things are going, it'll be my best Christmas ever.'  
"Alright" said TJ, stepping into the driver's seat of the 95 Ford Taurus "let's get this baby rolling"  
Spinelli hopped in the passenger seat, Vince and Mikey were in the back, Gretchen and Gus stayed behind to man the fort. TJ released the parking break and stepped on the gas. The car lurched...backwards.  
"You have to put it in drive Einstein" Spinelli barked.  
"Oh yeah" TJ sheepishly replied.  
Once he had done that, he timidly stepped on the gas. Thankfully, the car moved slowly forward-into a mailbox.  
"Can you even see over the dashboard?" Vince asked.  
"Maybe I should drive." Offered Mikey.  
"Would you guys just relax! I got this already."  
So the car made their way down the road, in search not only of food, but of hope. Back at the house, a hunchbacked boy was delighted. This is perfect time to strike. He should report this information at once. Slowly, so as not to be noticed, he crept out of the bushes and, keeping out of sight, began the trek to 61st street. 'This is great' he thought. 'Now those losers will finally get what they deserve'. After a long walk, he found himself at his destination. He approached the entrance, but was stopped by a large kid wearing sunglasses.  
"What business do you have with the king?"  
"I have important information to report"  
"What kind of information?"  
"Important information".  
"Don't try my patience snitch boy."  
"All I ask is that I be allowed to see King Bob for just five minutes."  
"Five minutes, no more."  
  
"I can't believe you got us lost Teej!" shouted Vince  
"Relax; we're just on a slight detour."  
"Detour my foot! We're lost and you know it Teej." Said Spinelli angrily.  
"Friends, shouting at TJ will not get us any closer to our destination." They grudgingly agreed. The car wound its way down narrow roads, even a dirt trail. They were about to give up hope, when Mikey noticed a roof above the treetops.  
"There it is" he exclaimed.  
"What Mikey?"  
"The warehouse, it's over there."  
"Where Mikey?" pleaded TJ.  
"Over there" he gestured.  
"You'll have to guide us; me and Spinelli are too short to see it.  
"Who you calling short!"  
  
"What is it Weems?" Said King Bob. Now he was more than king of just the playground. He controlled all of town from 82nd street to 9th street. Tj's house was on 7th street. Still he tried to rule fairly, but it was really hard sometimes...  
"Detweiler and his friends left their house to go somewhere; they left only Gretchen and Gus behind."  
"Where did they go?"  
"I don't know, but they were excited about it."  
"What else?"  
"That's it."  
"THAT'S IT!!!" bellowed King Bob, "You dragged me out here for this?!"  
"But your highness, with 4 of the 6 gone, you could take over from 8th to 1st streets with virtually no opposition."  
"And what will that accomplish? I'll just have more kids who want me to provide for them. I have more problems than I can handle already."  
"Any real king would seize this opportunity with two hands and run with it." Declared an angry Randall.  
"What did you say? Are you challenging me?"  
"No your highness, what I meant was..."  
"ENOUGH, guards, take him to the dungeon."  
  
"Wow Gretch, will that thing really work?"  
"Of course Gus, provided there is ample wind."  
Gretchen had just hooked up the generator she had built. It was nothing heavy-duty, just some wire coils, a magnet, and a crank fitted from fan blades that would turn with the wind. Regardless, she figured it should be able to run a refrigerator, maybe even the lights.  
"Ok, here goes"  
She gave the crank a little push to help catch the wind, and, as if by magic, the fridge turned on.  
"YES"  
"ALRIGHT"  
"Wait till the guys get back and see this, huh Gretch?"  
"I agree, they will be most surprised."  
  
"Man, this stuff ought to last us weeks!" said Mikey, who was nearly salivating.  
"You said it man, and there's still plenty left in here" declared an excited TJ, "If we keep coming back, and manage to keep this place a secret" he glared at his three friends "this will last us till the stuff Gretchen planted grows."  
'Man, leave it to TJ to think this up' thought Spinelli. 'That's my Teej for ya' 'Wait a minute, MY Teej? Man this is driving me crazy. Why do I have to feel this way about him? It's all so confusing, times like this especially make me wish my parents were here. They'd be able to make some sense about this, make me feel better like when I first told them about...it. Then they had to go and almost ruin everything on parent's night. What if TJ had heard them...our friendship might have been over. I'd rather have him as a friend than not at all. Man, I'm losing it, maybe I'll understand this better when I get older??? Parent's night. Strange how I used to dread it, but what I wouldn't give now for just one more... 


	3. Chapter 3

"Hold on Gretch, you mean to tell me you actually built a generator?" asked an incredulous TJ.  
"It was quite simple actually, wrap the wire in a coil around the magnet, then rotate the magnet so that its plane crosses that of the wires. The result is an electric current through the wire, which we can..."  
"That's great Gretch" said Spinelli, trying to end the science lesson without being rude "Now let's put the fridge to use."  
Soon the fridge was filled with meats, bread, milk-things that they had taken for granted before now seemed like luxuries.  
"Man, I wonder if even the Ashleys have this stuff"  
"Still trying to show up the Ashleys, huh Spin?"  
"Can you think of something more satisfying Teej?"  
  
Meanwhile, on the other side of town...  
"I totally cannot believe this Ashley A."  
"Calm down Ashley Q."  
"Calm Down, CALM DOWN! How am I supposed to calm down, I'm living a life unfit for any Ashley, Even that wretch Spinelli! We have barely any food, no heat, no working fridge..."  
"Ok Ashley Q., we, like, get the picture." Said an annoyed Ashley T."  
"Look girls, I hate to admit it, but it looks like we can't do this ourselves, face it, we need help."  
"Are you crazy Ashley B.? Us Ashleys needing help from the commoners..."  
"Things are different now Ashley T., we don't have our fathers' money to, like, provide for us, and we're gonna run out of food soon. If we want to survive, we have to pretend we're, like, not better than everybody.  
"Like, I Dunno Ashley B."  
"It's the only way Ashley A."  
  
"And make sure this never happens again, got it?"  
"Yes sir King Bob, I won't do it again, I promise."  
"Good. Now leave."  
'O man, I hate my stinkin life' thought the dejected snitch as he walked down the street. 'How come TJ and his friends always get away with everything? I wish I could put them in their place once and for all, but how? There's gotta be someone out there who feels the same way I do, but how to...'  
"Oomph"  
"Hey, watch where you're goin' snitch boy"  
"You watch where you're going, Lawson."  
"Shut up Weems, the only reason you haven't been beaten up a bazillion times by now is because King Bob made beating other kids up illegal."  
"Huh, some king he is."  
"Yeah, him and Detwieler's friends are all a bunch of no-good do- gooders."  
"If only we could get rid of them both, we could take over this two- bit town."  
"But we'd need some extra muscle for the job"  
"Hmm...we would need many kids, I mean there are six of them, wait a minute, that gives me an idea, a brilliant idea."  
"What is it Randall, tell me."  
"Not here, not now. Look, I'll go observe King Bob, see if I can get anything unusual going on. You just lay low for the next couple of days, leave the spying to me."  
"How come you get to do the spying?"  
"Cause I'm a professional dimwit."  
"O, ok. HEY, who you calling a dimwit?!"  
'Still the same old Lawson' "Relax, just do this for me, and I promise we'll be on a mountain of food within a month."  
"We better be...I'm hungry all the time."  
  
"So you, like, see King Bob, we really need to stay here, you've got pretty much all the food that's still left, and we Ashley's are, like, starving. We um...like...need your help."  
"I don't know, back at school, you four were nothing but trouble."  
"We know you highness, but our...um...predicament has made us realize, like, um... the error of our ways."  
"I still don't know. You've shown a history of untrustworthiness and trouble making, you'll probably just cause unrest among my subjects, and I just can't tolerate it." 'Man, I'm starting to sound like Ms. Finster' thought the twelve year old king.  
"Please King Bob, show us compassion and we'll, like, totally return the favor."  
'Hmm...I don't know about this, but they do seem apologetic, and they did ask nicely...'  
"Well, I guess you can stay in my kingdom, but I want no funny business. No rating systems, no charging for cootie shots, no acting like your better than everybody, no nothing. Understood?"  
"Yes, King Bob" they replied half-heartedly.  
  
"Hmm, the Ashleys...this could be good" Murmured the snitch, who was watching through binoculars. 'I could always use more people on my side; after all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Now to TJ's.' The weasel made the trek; it was actually quite a ways from where he was, to Tj's neighborhood. It was quiet as usual, most everywhere was. He found a tree a safe distance away that he could climb, and when he reached his position, he had a bird's eye view of his target. 'Wonder what that windmill looking thingy in the back is.' He thought to himself. Suddenly, a figure came into view. Randall recognized it as Gretchen Grundler, brain of the group. She was holding a light bulb in a socket, and a plug. 'That's weird, what use could she have for a light bulb?' She plugged it in to the windmill thing and...  
"Holy Crap!" exclaimed Randall "She built a generator, I've got to get my hands on that thing."  
He then noticed her flinch, as if startled. 'Uh-oh, she might have heard me, I better get out of here.' 


	4. Chapter 4

"So that thing can power the light bulbs too!" Asked an amazed Vince.  
"Well, a couple of small watt bulbs at the most, but it's better than nothing."  
"I gotta hand it to ya Gretch" said a grateful Spinelli "You really are a life-saver."  
"O, it was nothing really."  
"Are you kidding me Gretch" said TJ "You're the greatest."  
"Yeah, tomorrow I'm gonna whip up something special just for you."  
"O, Vince, is that really necess..."  
"Course it is Gretch."  
  
"Hello Ladies"  
"Like, leave us alone snitch boy, it's bad enough we have to toil with the rest of you low lives just for food, we don't need a rat like you rubbing it in."  
"Ashley T., you've got me all wrong, I didn't come here to get on your nerves, even though it would be very easy."  
"Alright then Randall, why did you come here then?"  
"I have a proposition for you."  
"And what would that be?"  
"You help me overthrow King Bob, and we will rule this 'kingdom'. I will be king of course, but you for will have great power, my chief advisors, each in charge of a certain district."  
"Eww, like, why would we want to serve you, and how do we know you won't double cross us?"  
"You'll just have to trust me, and there is an extra incentive."  
"We're listening."  
"Together we will ruin Detwieler's gang. You can make Spinelli into the fifth Ashley again. Detwieler will be in prison, unable to foil you like the last time. You will have the ultimate victory over your greatest enemy."  
"Fine"  
"Ashley A., Shouldn't we discuss this?"  
"No Ashley Q., we're doing this no matter what."  
  
"Okay Lawson, here's the plan, you get up on that roof, and make the speech we talked about."  
"I dunno Randall, I'm kinda nervous, why can't you do it?"  
"Because no one will listen to me, but they will listen to you, you're one of them."  
"Well...Okay."  
  
"Attention all kids" He shouted. Most kids stopped what they were doing, hoping he had a way to get out of this nightmare.  
"Aren't you tired of starving, of living from meal to meal, not knowing if there will be a next meal, of being so hungry you wanted to cry?" There were some murmurs of agreement from the crowd. "Well, whose fault is it that we are like this?"  
"King Bob!" shouted Ashley A.  
"That's right, King Bob. Ever since he took over, things went from bad to worse. Am I right?" "Yes" came faintly from the crowd. "Are you tired of living like this, don't you want more?" "YES", more enthusiastically this time. "Don't you think you deserve three square meals a day, heat in your home?" "YES" very loudly.  
Randall smiled, this was going exactly as he had hoped.  
"Well, let me tell you something, King Bob doesn't think you do-what do you say to that?"  
"King Bob is no king at all."  
"How did he get to be king in the first place?"  
"Let's get rid of him."  
"That's it we'll get rid of him."  
"Overthrow King Bob." Started Lawson.  
"OVERTHROW KING BOB, OVERTHROW KING BOB" the chant started.  
"What's going on here" An unfortunate one of King Bob's bodyguards had stumbled upon the rally.  
"GET HIM"  
"Hey what are you doing-ow, quit it, hey, when King Bob hears about this he's gonna..."  
"Nothing" Randall cut him off "We're through with King Bob."  
  
King Bob was sitting on his throne, when he heard a faint chant.  
"Hmm...I wonder what they're saying."  
"King Bob sir?"  
"Yes Jerome?"  
"I think they're saying 'overthrow King Bob'"  
"WHAT?"  
"My Liege, I strongly suggest we get out of here."  
They hurriedly climbed down from the throne, the body guards forming a wedge around Bob, but it was too late. They were surrounded. The body guards put up a valiant fight, but were overcome by the masses, who seized the doomed King.  
"Wait, I can give you anything you want, anything-you name it, I can give it to you, Please!"  
"Forget it Kingy, you're gonna rot in your own dungeon.  
  
That afternoon, Vince was cooking for dinner, chicken fricassee today, when he heard a rumbling in the distance. It sounded like...shouting. Intrigued, he stepped out side. Seeing nothing, he walked toward the source of the sound. His curiosity getting the better of him, he began to run. His legs carried him swiftly to his destination, and he was flabbergasted. "Is that King Bob, being led away, what's going on here? How did this happen? His mind was spinning, but all his questions were answered when he saw what happened next. 'O no, is that Lawson, on the throne, WEARING THE CROWN?! I gotta get back, gotta warn the guys.' He ran back twice as fast as he had come. 


	5. Chapter 5

"Vince, what's wrong?"  
"You wouldn't-believe me- if I-told you." Said Vince, gasping for air.  
"Try us" said Spinelli.  
"Alright, well, this afternoon, when I was preparing dinner, Gretch was in the basement working on-whatever it is you were working, and the rest of you were making a run to the warehouse, I heard shouting."  
"Go on" said an inquisitive TJ.  
"Well, when I went to see what all the shouting was about, I ended up in King Bob's kingdom; well it used to be his kingdom."  
"Whatcha talking bout Vince?"  
"Well, guys, it appears, King Bob has been overthrown."  
"WHAT"  
"BY WHO?"  
"Why?" Gretchen chimed in "All things considered, I think he's done a pretty good job as king."  
"Well, that's the worst part."  
"What now Vince, just spit it out already!" Said a slightly aggravated Spinelli.  
"Well, it seems Lawson has taken over as the new king."  
"NOOO!"  
"But Vince, the odds of Lawson pulling off a successful coup d'etat like this are approximately 1 in 37,000."  
"Yeah, I'm with Gretch on this one, Lawson couldn't plan his way out of a wet paper bag, are you trying to pull something on us Vince?"  
"No Gus, I swear I'm not lying, Lawson is the new king, I saw him on the throne with his crown and everything."  
"Well guys" said TJ gravely "I guess we should start getting ready."  
"Getting ready? Getting ready for what TJ?"  
"The invasion Mikey, if I know Lawson, the first thing he'll do is try to get at us. Face it, he's hated us for years, he would love nothing more to destroy us. We're the Yankees to his Red Sox. He'll come after us with all he's got."  
"So what should we do Teej?"  
"Well Spin, we better set up defensive positions around the house. Vince, Mikey, you two go out and get some rocks, as many as you can find, and bring them here. Gretch, you and Gus put up a short wood wall around the perimeter of the roof. My plan is to put up the wall on the roof, with the rocks behind it. When Lawson and his men get close, we pull the wall down, unleashing the rocks on him like water from a burst dam."  
"Clever TJ, We'll get right on it."  
"Good, Spin, you're with me."  
"What are we gonna do?"  
"We're gonna get some help."  
  
"Is everything ready yet?"  
"Not yet King Lawson, we still have to put together an army. Under King Bob, we didn't really need one, so this is all new to us, we're starting from scratch."  
"Very well, but make it quick."  
"Yes, your majesty."  
He made a hasty exit, leaving Lawson alone on the throne with his thoughts. 'Man, this is gonna be sweet, finally taking out those losers. He would get revenge for all those pranks, all those lost kickball games.'  
"Incompetent fools" said an irate Randall.  
"Huh?"  
"I said they're incompetent. How long could it take to muster together an army? We don't even need a big army; just a few dozen kids ought to do the trick."  
"That Jarvis kid you put in charge said things would be ready soon."  
"They'd better be."  
  
"Whoa, Lawson the new King?!? I sure didn't see that one coming."  
"Neither did us Dave, but it's true, and we need your help."  
"Need our help, for what?"  
"Come on Sam, this is Lawson we're talking about here. If he had his way, he'd beat every kid worse than I ever could."  
"Yeah guys, and Spinelli could beat you pretty badly, besides, you'd be doing what you love."  
"What do you mean?"  
"You two would be digging trenches, moats, bunkers, all kinds of stuff like that. It's a kid's dream, especially a kid like you two."  
"Okay TJ, count us in."  
  
"Come on Guru Kid, we need every kid we can get."  
"I'm sorry TJ, but I believe violence is never the answer."  
"But G.K., we already got the diggers, the swinger, upside down girl, and about a dozen other kids that live nearby."  
"Then why do you need me?"  
"It's like TJ said, every kid makes a difference."  
"A viscous kid like you could make up for my absence."  
"Viscous?"  
"You heard me."  
"Why you little..." She lunged at Guru Kid, but TJ had anticipated this, and managed to grab a hold of her waist, keeping her back. Spinelli soon forgot her anger, feeling content to have TJ hold her. TJ was concerned about her temper, but then he too noticed the position they were in. He held her a little longer than he had intended, then they both backed away in embarrassment.  
"So..."  
"Ummm... let's see go see if that Gordy kid will help out."  
"Right behind ya Teej." 


	6. Chapter 6

TJ and Spinelli arrived home to see the fortifications not only built, but rather impressive looking.  
"Tender" said TJ.  
"Wow Gretch" said Spinelli, "you guys really got to work."  
"Indeed, with these fortifications, we could hold off a force with three times the number of kids as us."  
"Speaking of which, how many kids did you two get?" Inquired Vince.  
"We recruited nine kids, so that makes fifteen of us total."  
"We're gonna put them up in the vacant houses around the block, including your old house Spin, if you don't mind."  
"No problem Teej."  
"Now comes the hardest part."  
"Whatcha talking bout Gus?"  
"Well, my dad told me the hardest part of combat is waiting for the enemy to attack. We know Lawson's gonna come at us, but waiting for it to happen will be pretty nerve-racking."  
"I'm afraid Gus is correct, the time from now till Lawson's attack will be very tense for all of us."  
"Come on, you guys are just being scaredy cats, I'm not scared of this, It's gonna be a synch to beat Lawson's goons, and how hard could waiting for him be, right Teej?"  
"Uh...yeah, sure Spin, it'll be...easy."  
"Hey TJ" said Brian, one of the kids they'd recruited. He was of average height and build, with blue eyes and dirty blond hair, with a tee- shirt and baggy jeans. "We got an intruder."  
"A spy?"  
"Dunno, but he says he wants to talk to you and you only."  
"Where did he come from, can you tell?"  
"Dunno, he's pretty tight lipped, insists on talking to you, says he has important information."  
"About what?"  
"Again, he's not talking to us,"  
"Well, bring him here."  
"Okay."  
He was escorted up to Tj's house with two guards keeping his arms behind his back. Though he seemed a bit nervous, disheveled, and obviously hadn't eaten in days, but his facial expression was quite smug.  
"Hustler Kid !?!?"  
"The one and only, at your service."  
"What are you doing here?"  
"Well, it's a long story."  
"I've got time."  
"Well, you see, under King Bob, things were going great, well, not great, but you know what I mean, business was booming, I had everything the kids needed, I was at the peak of success, all things considered."  
"Then what?"  
"Well, Spinelli, Lawson happened. He had me arrested and my assets seized. He threw me in the dungeon, the cell next to King Bob."  
"So how'd you get out?"  
"Well, since Bob designed the dungeon, he knew all the weak spots. There was no way out from his cell, but there was a weak spot in the wall of mine. Using a spoon I kept from when the guards feed me, I slowly dug through it. It took three whole days, but I managed to break through the wall, and escape."  
"So what news do you bring?"  
"Only that Lawson's attack is planned for the day after tomorrow."  
"How many kids does he plan to bring with him?"  
"About thirty to thirty-five."  
"Gretch, can we hold them off?"  
"Well, TJ, I calculate the odds of our success to be pretty good, a fifty nine percent chance, in fact."  
"Only, one problem" Piped Spinelli, in a threatening tone "How do we know you're not lying to us?"  
"You'll just have to trust me."  
"I don't like this Teej. What if he's a double agent?"  
"Well, Spin, He's the best we've got, and he's never lied to us before."  
"He seems genuine." Added Gretchen.  
"Well, okay" she conceded. Then she grabbed the labels of HK's jacket "Only you'd better be right, or else."  
"Heh...Don't worry about it." He said with a nervous smile.  
"By the way Spinelli, I'd be especially careful if I was you."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"Word on the street is, if Lawson creams you guys tomorrow, the Ashleys are planning on making you the fifth Ashley again, and the rest of you will be put in jail."  
"Lawson and the Ashleys working together, something doesn't smell right."  
"I concur, there must be a third party working between the two."  
"But who?"  
  
It was getting late. Everyone had decided to get some sleep. The Diggers got night watch tonight, much to their chagrin. TJ and Spinelli were settling in their room, Spinelli on the bed, TJ on a hammock strung from wall to wall. 'Man, they wanna make me the fifth Ashley again, why can't they just let it go, why does my first name have to be Ashley?'  
"Spin, what's wrong?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well you were tossing and turning, and talking to yourself..." 'Talking to myself, oh boy, I really am losing it.' "...And I was just wondering what's wrong."  
"What do you think is wrong?" 'Boys could be so clueless sometimes.'  
"It's about being the fifth Ashley again, isn't it?"  
"TJ, I can't go back to that, it was an absolute nightmare last time. I'll never be able to do it, I'd rather..."  
"Calm down Spinelli" He cut her off  
"Calm down, how can I calm down, you have no idea what it was like, how can you tell me to calm down?"  
"Look, I won't let you get captured and turned into the fifth Ashley tomorrow."  
"You promise?"  
"I promise, and Spin, Ashley or no Ashley, I'll always be your friend, and I'll always be here for you."  
"Thanks Teej."  
"Anytime."  
She was contented, and soon drifted off to sleep, leaving TJ alone with his thoughts, mostly about her. 'She's looks like...an angel.' 


	7. Chapter 7

Note: Really sorry for not updating in a while, I've had a lot of school work, plus driver's ed, and I haven't had a lot of time to write. I will finish this story, rest assured, but there may be times when I don't update for a week or so. Again...really sorry.  
  
The day of the attack came. Vince, being an early riser, was up first. He stepped out on the porch and took a look around. Nothing yet. He figured Lawson wouldn't attack till the afternoon, taking extra time to prepare and still figuring he had the element of surprise. So, he went inside to wake up his friends.  
"Wake up Teej"  
"Huh, wha...Vince? What happened?"  
"Nothing, man, only it's time to get up."  
"Oh, okay, I'll be up in a minute."  
"You said that yesterday."  
"And?"  
"And it took you forty-seven minutes for you to come down after saying that, so you get up now, besides, we need you up and alert for today, I'll go make some coffee."  
"I still don't understand how our parents drank that stuff, it's gross."  
"True, but it does keep you sharp. Now come on."  
"Alright, alright, just let me wake up Spin."  
"Sure."  
  
Forty-seven minutes later, TJ and Spinelli came downstairs to find the house full of kids.  
"What's happening here?" Asked Spinelli.  
"Well" Said Vince, eyeing TJ "It took you two a while to get up, so I called everyone here to get the ball rolling, know what I mean?"  
"Ok, ok, anyways, the way I see it, we have everyone take their positions as soon as this briefing is over. We take rotating, three hour shifts on watch, if you see anything, yell or whistle or something. Then everyone gets to battle stations, and you know what to do from there, right people?"  
He was met by a chorus of "Yeah", "Right", and "You got it".  
"Ok people; let's get this show on the road.  
  
Despite the abundant sunshine, Gus felt a little cold. He was on watch now, and his nerves were definitely on edge. No one had seen anything yet, but he was sure they would be coming soon. After all, HK wouldn't lie to them, would he? Then he saw it. Off in the distance, a small mass walking toward him, out of step. They seemed like a ragtag army, undisciplined, cocky, sure of victory.  
"TJ. TJ, I SEE THEM, THE'RE COMING!!!"  
"Gus sees them, EVERYBODY TO BATTLE STATIONS."  
Lawson's army approached, at a slow pace. 'This is going to be so sweet' thought Lawson as he approached. He saw them scurrying about, it looked like there were more of them...  
TJ glared fiercely at Lawson approaching, even though he knew Lawson couldn't see him. 'No one's gonna get to my friends, no one's gonna make Spinelli an Ashley again, never.'  
Lawson advanced to within a few steps of TJ's house, and stopped. TJ held up his hand not to fire.  
"Dorkwieler, if you surrender peacefully, we promise not to hurt you or your friends. Just give up, you can't win."  
"Wrong Lawson. We know what you're planning for us. If you want to break us, you're going to have to earn it."  
"What are you talking about Dingle-wieler?"  
"You know what I'm talking about Lawson. I'll never surrender to a loser like you, never; I'd rather die a thousand deaths."  
"READY"  
Suddenly, Tj's mini-army popped out from under their fortifications, rocks in hand.  
"AIM"  
Lawson realized there was more than before...with rocks. 'Aww crap'.  
"FIRE"  
A storm of rocks fell on Lawson's troops, knocking several out cold. The rest scurried to the woods, or behind cars, looking for protection.  
"Come on you wimps" Lawson tried to rally his troops "We still outnumber them. Let's go."  
They huddles together using trash cans as shields, and slowly crept closer to TJ's defenses. Several were hit and forced to quit, a few just plain ran, but Lawson reached the defenses. 'I got them now.' He thought.  
He thought wrong.  
"FALL BACK"  
The kids ran back into the house, Lawson thought he had them on the run. 'Finally, after all this time, I've won.' Then he noticed Gretchen and Gus on the roof.  
"LET HER RIP GRETCH"  
They pulled back the wall holding the biggest rocks they could find. They cascaded down on Lawson and his men. Almost every single one was hit. Those who weren't ran. His army shattered, his head throbbing and bleeding, he realized that he had lost again...and it filled him with a new fury.  
"This isn't over Detwieler, I'll be back, and I'll bring a hundred men. You are going down. If it's the last thing I do, I will bring you down, and give you the worst possible punishment. I will bury you TJ Detwieler, if it's the last thing I do.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
"Sorry Randall, but it was like they knew we were coming, they were prepared, there was nothing I could do."  
"You could've tried harder."  
"Look at my head, Randall, look at my bruises, you think I didn't try, I gave it all I had, we'll just have to use more troops next time. Mark my words, I will get them."  
  
The gang was happy, they were celebrating. Except one.  
"Come on Teej, what's wrong, we just creamed Lawson, why don't you join the party?"  
"Sorry Spin, but I can't stop thinking about what Lawson said. If he comes back with a hundred kids, there's no way we can win."  
She was about to say something, until she realized he was right.  
"What are you sayin' Teej, that I'll have to be an Ashley again, that your just gonna be a prisoner?"  
"No-It's just..."  
"No is right. Teej, we can't give up on this, we gotta at least try. You of all people should know we can't just quit on this. We beat Lawson now, we can beat him again."  
"I hope you're right." 


	8. Chapter 8

Lawson stood on his throne, looking over the kids assembled. He had gotten quite a large force to go on his second incursion to TJville, as he jokingly referred to it. Getting them to agree was simple, actually, once Randall told them TJ had a secret generator and was holding out on them, they were more than eager. So what if most of them liked TJ-a kid's gotta eat and stay warm.  
"Alright troops, march."  
  
"You're overreacting TJ."  
"Am I Vince?"  
"Yeah, you are. Come on man, I mean we creamed Lawson last time, how could he beat us again the next time, if there even is a next time?"  
"Trust me; there will be a next time. Every time we beat Lawson at something, he challenges us again, sometimes even inventing games so he could win. This is more than just territory and food to Lawson, it's personal. If he has to come back here a hundred times, he will."  
"I concur with TJ, Lawson will not give up so easily."  
"Ok brains, what do you suggest we do?"  
"Well, we could always leave, go somewhere else."  
"Go somewhere else?" piped Spinelli "Gretch, if we run away, it's even worse than if Lawson beat us, besides, what's to keep him from chasing us down and fighting us again?"  
"Spin's right, we have to stand and fight."  
"Dude, you just rhymed."  
"Oh yeah, cool."  
  
Lawson saw the house come in to view, the house where he had been so thoroughly humiliated before would now see his greatest triumph.  
"CHARGE!" He ordered, he would not take any chances this time, this time, he would catch them by surprise.  
  
"Holy crap...you guys..."  
"Yeah Gus" they chorused.  
"We gotta get out of here!"  
TJ ran out to take a look, and at once knew he could not win. Lawson had at least a hundred kids, maybe more, and they were charging, his defenses weren't set up, the kids he had scattered, he saw them run, they're courage failing them, or maybe just their common sense kicking in. Probably a little bit of both, then he felt a sharp pain in his head, he immediately clutched the spot and crumpled to the ground, then everything went black.  
  
Vince, Gus, Gretch, Mikey and Spinelli were in a full out sprint. They didn't know where they were running, except away from the house. Then Spinelli noticed something.  
"Guys, where's TJ?"  
They all stopped, realizing their leader was nowhere to be seen.  
"I'm going back for him, who's coming with me?"  
No one objected.  
  
"Well Lawson, looks like we creamed 'em good, all ran off, we dunno where to."  
"Find them." He replied coolly. He was trying to maintain calm outside, but inside he was celebrating, he had never felt better. He wanted to scream to the sky that he had beaten TJ Detwieler, for the first and last time.  
"Go around and see if there are any wounded hanging around."  
"Yes sir."  
  
The gang slowly and stealthily crept through the small woods behind TJ's house, to within sight of his yard. Lawson's troops had fanned out looking for them, there were only a three in the yard itself, carrying some other kid they couldn't make out. Vince picked up three rocks, and stepped back.  
"Prepare to be amazed."  
He let out the rocks with catlike quickness, each one soaring to its target, each one connecting with a sickening CRACK. The three boys fell motionless and soundless to the floor. They stayed put for a few minutes, to make sure they hadn't been heard, then crept out to the yard, over to the kid, the boys had been carrying.  
Spinelli froze. Her insides tightened into a knot, her fists clenched with rage, she ran over to him.  
"TJ, TJ"  
"Shhh Spin, we can't be heard."  
She stayed silent, but was screaming inside. TJ was on the ground, motionless, a pool of blood at his head, bloody rock nearby. She cradled him in her arms, holding him close, willing him to be ok. 'You better be ok TJ, you better be.' The five gently picked him up, and carried him off.  
"Where should we go, you guys?"  
"I dunno Mikey, where can we go?"  
"How about Fort Tender?"  
"Good idea Vince."  
  
They laid him out on the floor of the fort, with Spinelli's jacket as a pillow.  
"It's important to keep pressure on the wound Spinelli, it'll stop the bleeding."  
"That's the third time you've told me that, I got it already."  
"Chill Spin, you two Gretch, this is hard for all of us, don't be all up at each other's throats, would TJ want that?"  
Spinelli knew that Vince was right. She just cradled his head in her arms, with her jacket on the wound, pressing sown, trying to stop the bleeding, with four words running through her head over and over. 'You better be ok, you better be ok, you better be ok, you better be ok, you better be okay.' 


	9. Chapter 9

TJ awoke to a ringing, throbbing pain in is head. He opened his eyes, and had no idea where he was. 'Oh man, I must have been captured by Lawson or something'. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whipped around, expecting a guard or a thug, or maybe even Lawson himself.  
"Teej, you're okay!"  
Spinelli. If there was one person he could have chosen to see at that point, he would have chosen her.  
"Depends on what you mean by okay. My head feels like it's about to explode. Hey, what are you doing here, they got you too?"  
"Got me, that rock must have done more damage than we thought."  
"Huh?"  
"Teej, no one got us, we got away, for now at least, we're in Fort Tender ya big doofus."  
"Oh...right...I knew that."  
"Sure, anyways, Gretch said you should take it easy for a couple days, but that you should be okay" 'Thank God' she thought.  
"Speaking of Gretch, where are her and the guys anyways?"  
"They made another run to the warehouse, you know, get some food."  
Then he remembered. The house, the food, the generator, it was all gone. They would have to start from scratch. With Lawson after them. This was not good.  
"We'll have to get out of here."  
"Huh, why?"  
"Spin, this is the first place Lawson would look for us. He knows all about fort Tender. He tried to take it from us before remember? As soon as the guys get back from the warehouse, we're movin' out."  
"You sure about this Teej, I mean, where are we gonna go?"  
"I don't know, but I- hey, wait a minute, that's it!"  
"What's it?"  
"Spinelli, you can still pick locks right?"  
That was an unusual question; TJ usually frowned on her not-so-legal skills, being TJ and all.  
"What, you think I forgot."  
"Perfect."  
"What's perfect?" She was getting a little annoyed now. She wished he would just spit it out, then she noticed that look on his face again.  
At that moment, the car holding the rest of their friends pulled up in the school parking lot, with bags full of food. But they looked...scared, and angry.  
"Spinelli, bad news, wh- TJ, you're awake!"  
"You bet Mike-o."  
"Good to see you up man, maybe you got a plan for all this" Said Vince, his tone pleading for an answer in the affirmative. 'Man am I glad he's up. I don't know what we woulda done without him. Especially Spinelli, she was a wreck last night. She wouldn't tell me, but from how she looked this morning, I'd bet she didn't get any sleep last night. They were always the tightest of us, but I wonder if... nah quit thinking crazy Vince.'  
"Mikey, what was that bad news you had?"  
"Well, it seems that Lawson has found out about the warehouse."  
"What?!? How, we didn't..." He was cut of by Gus.  
"He probably found out from one of the kids they captured yesterday TJ. After we loaded the car, we saw them coming. I don't think they saw us leave, but I could be wrong. Either way, I think we should leave Fort Tender."  
"One step ahead of you Gus."  
"Wait a minute, that thing was our only source of food. How are we gonna eat?"  
"Don't worry Spin, I told you I had a plan earlier."  
  
'So this is where they got all their food.' Thought Randall 'well, it's ours now.'  
"Randall, I like, totally need to talk to you." 'Great' he thought 'what now?'  
"What do you need Ashley A.?"  
"The Ashleys and I feel we aren't getting our share of the booty."  
"What are you talking about? Me, Lawson, and each one of you gets the exact same amount."  
"That's just it; we're supposed to get more."  
"Huh?" 'What the hell was that supposed to mean, how are they supposed to get more?'  
"We are of a higher class; therefore we are entitled to more than the rest of you."  
"WHAT, says who?"  
"Our daddies." Said Ashley A., fidgeting a little. Randall had become extremely agitated. If looks could kill, she'd be dead.  
"Oh, I see" he began calmly "Well Ashley, I have some new information you are apparently not aware of...YOU'RE DADDIES ARE DEAD. EVERYONES PARENTS ARE. YOU ARE JUST AS POOR AND HUNGRY AS THE REST OF US. YOU ARE NOT BETTER, YOU ARE WORSE. ALL YOU'VE BEEN DOING EVER SINCE YOU CAME HERE IS STARTING TROUBLE. YOU EVEN STARTED UP THAT STUPID RATINGS SYSTEM AGAIN. YOU KNOW WHAT, GET OUT OF HERE."  
"Get out of here?"  
"That's right" said Randall, regaining control of himself. Leave now, never return, I never want to see your stupid perfume filled head ever again. You and the rest of the Ashleys."  
She was about to say something back, until she realized he was right. He and Lawson held all the power, and she couldn't stop them. She ran, back to the rest of the Ashleys, to tell them they were doomed.  
  
"What do you mean Ashley A.?"  
"Girls, we have to leave. We can't stay anymore."  
"Why?"  
"I'm not sure, but I think the other kids think they're equal to us or something."  
"Equal, to us, impossible, where do they get off?"  
"I don't know, but I know how we can get back at them."  
  
"Okay Teej, what's your big plan?"  
"Spin, guys, from now on, we are going to live in school."  
"Uhh...TJ, how is that going to work?"  
"Simple, Spinelli can pick the locks and let us in." 'So that's why he asked that' "And the school has backup generators we can use, and food for 300 kids for a week, there's only six of us. It should last us through the winter. Gretch, do you think we could plant stuff on the playground, and have it grow."  
"Well, yes, I think that might work." She said excitedly.  
Spinelli smiled to herself as they walked toward the school, hairpin in hand. 'TJ does it again.' She thought, sliding the pin into the lock. A few twists and turns and ... click. The doors opened. 


	10. Chapter 10

The school was dark and quiet. It was so strange to them, they had never been here without hundreds before, so this was kinda freaky for them all. They made their way to the cafeteria to make sure there was indeed food here. TJ nervously approached the door leading to the kitchen and food storage. Earlier he had been so sure of himself, but now he was having some doubts. What if he was wrong? 'Well, only one way to find out.' He approached the door, and opened it.  
"Whompin Bobula!"  
"There's no food there, I knew it!" exclaimed Gus, panicking. "What will we do?! Where will we-"SMACK.  
"Get a hold of yourself jarhead, even if there's no food here, we can still—"  
"Guys, guys, guys, relax, would ya, there's plenty of food for all of us...it looks like there's even more than I thought."  
"Well, that's a relief, let's chow down." Said Vince, tummy rumbling.  
"Yeah, I'm starving."  
"Easy Mikey, you too Vince, this stuff has gotta last us at least three months, we need to ration it out carefully."  
Mikey let out an exasperated sigh. "But TJ, I'm hungry now, and so is everyone else."  
"Yeah Teej, let us at least have a little food."  
"Okay, okay, but don't go crazy, just a little bit."  
The five of them jumped on the food, and ate whatever they could find. TJ sighed, 'Well, I am pretty hungry, might as well...' and jumped in with the rest.  
"Hey, what the hang is this?"  
"What did you find Spin?" Asked Vince.  
"It's this package Vince, it's been opened already, and some of the stuff inside has been eaten."  
"AHH, coyotes are in this school, we gotta get out, I knew this was a bad idea!"  
"Chill Mikey" Said TJ, amused at his friend. 'Silly ole big guy.' "The school was locked, remember, only someone with a key could get in. I don't think coyotes can open locks big guy."  
"Oh, yeah...I forgot."  
"But who is it?"  
  
Two eyes watched them from the ceiling vent. They were nervous, twitching. The individual they belonged to was very angry.  
"They think they can just barge into my home and eat my food, they'd better think again, if they know what's good for them." He crawled through the vents, back to the office, where he picked up Principal Prickly's old driver. 'This will do nicely.' He wrote a note on it, and climbed back into the vents.  
  
The gang walked through the school, trying to decide on where to sleep.  
"How about the teachers lounge?" Suggested Mikey, walking hunched over, eyes darting from object to object. They were all very wary. They knew someone was in here, and watching them. He could be watching them at this very moment, and that was a very scary feeling.  
"Good idea Mikey, let's go check it out." TJ practically whispered. They kept their voices down instinctively, not wanting to let whoever was out there to know too much.  
"But TJ, remember when we snuck into the lounge before? It was nasty, with nothing but a ratty couch and a broken coffee maker."  
"True, but there's nowhere better to sleep."  
"What about Principal Prickly's office" volunteered Gretchen.  
"Nah" replied TJ, "It's too small, and we'd all end up fighting over who got to sleep in the chair."  
They acquiesced. Walking slowly and cautiously to the teacher's lounge, Mikey couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Then he heard a faint scurry from behind, like a dog running. He turned around to see what was behind him, and saw--- nothing. 'I can't let this get to me' he thought, turning around. Then—POW.  
"OUCH, my nose, something just hit me in the nose."  
They all turned around in an instant, and saw Mikey laying on the ground, blood trickling from his nose, the screen in the vent above open. They rushed to him.  
"Mikey, are you okay?"  
"What hit you?"  
"Who hit you?"  
"Did you see?"  
"I dunno, I turned around to see behind me, and it just hit me. Ow, it really hurts."  
"Let me see." Gretchen moved to his head, and examined the wound closely. "Mikey, it appears you have a broken nose."  
"Great, just great." Replied a sullen Mikey, or at least sullen for Mikey.  
Vince then noticed the club in the hallway a few feet from Mikey.  
"Hey guys, this must have been what hit him."  
"Yes" Gretchen said "The perpetrator opened the screen, and swung the club at Mikey, hitting him square in the face."  
"Why Mikey?"  
"Because Gus, Mikey is the tallest, and therefore the easiest to hit. He was a target of opportunity, not singled out for any particular reason. Hey look, there's a note attached."  
"What does it say?"  
  
LEAVE NOW, NEVER RETURN, THIS IS MY PLACE, IF YOU STAY, I WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL.  
  
"Wait a minute, this is Prickly's club."  
"How do you know Vince?" Said a perplexed Spinelli. "A lot of the other teachers golfed, it might not be his."  
"Cause when I golfed with him, when we beat his brother, he had is clubs engraved with the date on the shaft. Here look."  
They did, and sure enough, there it was—4/12/98.  
"So whoever it is that is stalking us has keys to the school, and Prickly's office, it could only be one person- Menlo."  
"I say we go make that dweeb's face stop my fist from going into his brain."  
"Agreed."  
  
Menlo was sitting smug in his chair, convinced Detwieler and co. would be out of his hair. Then he heard a rattling on his door. 'Fools' he thought 'how do they expect to get past a locked door'? Then he heard a clicking, and the door swung open. 'Dammit, I forgot Spinelli could pick locks'.  
"Alright, you little dweeb, what's the big idea?"  
"Yeah, the schools big enough for all of us." Said Vince.  
"Oh yeah" Menlo retorted "not quite, seven mouths are more than one, now I what you to leave."  
"Menlo" Spinelli said in a strangely calm voice "You're forgetting there are six of us, and each one of us could take you. If you don't want to live with us, it's you that's gonna be leaving."  
They grabbed him, and began to carry him to the door. Now he realized how much trouble he was in. He couldn't survive out there.  
"Wait, don't throw me out, I can help you."  
"How?"  
"There are rooms in this school you never knew about, I can show you- they're comfortable, I have all the keys stashed away, I'll give them to you, please don't throw me out, please!"  
Even Spinelli felt pity at his begging, so they dropped him.  
"Alright Menlo" Said TJ, shooting daggers at Menlo "Show us everything." 


End file.
